as in to complain
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant
you know it drives me crazy when you niggle like that
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in quibble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in qualm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of niggle
Inkoo Kang, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2020
Something about this might niggle at the back of the mind as the hours go by.
—Stephanie Rosenbloom, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2019
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
One niggle: The brake pedal could use a smoother transition from its energy-harvesting regenerative stoppers to its mechanical-friction brakes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2019
See all Example Sentences for niggle 
Verb
That said, without examples of what the ERA might change, the accusations of its largely symbolic status — lodged by some of the characters in the series — continue to niggle.
—Inkoo Kang, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2020
Something about this might niggle at the back of the mind as the hours go by.
—Stephanie Rosenbloom, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2019
Noun
Use this prompt to explain a niggle and talk it through.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
One niggle: The brake pedal could use a smoother transition from its energy-harvesting regenerative stoppers to its mechanical-friction brakes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2019
See all Example Sentences for niggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggle
Verb
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Auto dealers who sell its products have complained that high prices have left inventories piling up.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024
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The late-night show cut to footage of Trump speaking at his rallies in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday, respectively, and complaining about people like Rep. Adam Schiff.Michaela Zee, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Send your wine questions and quibbles to sethebarlowwine@gmail.com Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.Seth Eli Barlow, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024
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The only thing missing is an Ethernet port, but that’s a minor quibble.PCMAG, PCMAG, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Her biggest qualm so far, beyond one small hiccup with a machine jamming, is the humidity.Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
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The person performing the love bombing might have mental health qualms.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
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While some parents are fine with sleep training methods that involve lengthy separations from their babies, and a fair amount of crying and fussing, for other parents, these methods just don’t feel right.1 That’s where gentle sleep training come into play.Wendy Wisner, Parents, 17 Sep. 2024
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Somebody's done all the worrying and fussing for you!Joe Ray, WIRED, 31 Aug. 2024
Noun
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That immediately elicited objections from the South Arkansas Minerals Association, which also objected to the December application, and dozens of other mineral rights owners.Ainsley Platt, arkansasonline.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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That expansion came over the objection of the court's chief justice at the time.Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In a lecture in 2012, the eminent physicist Freeman Dyson considered (opens a new tab) gravitational waves from the sun, where the violent churning of matter inside the star should constantly send out mild tremors in space-time.Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
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Last week was a particularly active period for the volcano, with over 1,000 thousand minutes of tremors being detected each day, and huge plumes of ash being spewed out of the mountain.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
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This isn’t to nitpick but to suggest there are deeper questions about the way true crime participates in cultural imaginings of empathy that could be explored even within these productions.Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
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Expert dealmakers know not to rush or nitpick when bargaining, says the billionaire entrepreneur and investor.Alex Koller, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The company continues to face liquidity challenges and relies on external financing to fund its operations.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
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The 2-1 decision from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a challenge to a similar law in Tennessee, which may ultimately determine whether all such state laws around the country can be enforced.Reuters, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Niggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggle. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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